General Chat

What an interesting thread.

I sailed through my junior school and won a scholarship to a good school but my parents insisted that I went to a Catholic school two bus rides away from home.
The first two years were reasonable and I got good marks in the yearly exams.
A was useless at foreign languages. We only did French, Spanish and German. I just about scraped my exams which at least satisfied my parents.
I gained good marks in English Language, History, scraped through Mathis and Drama. I really wanted to pursue a career in Drama and was awarded a scholarship at one of the best in London, :-( but, my parents threatened to send me to a convent in Ireland if I did not become a teacher, a nurse or secretary! Well I decided that nursing could be interesting, useful and I would meet a lot of people.

So at 18 off I went to The London Hospital, now know as The Royal London Hospital in east London and never looked back. I only retired 18 months ago as I was I'll but could have gone on for ever. Worked in private hospitals, had my own nursing homes and sold them, specialised in Dementia end learnt so much about people.

Have rambled too much......sorry

Exams can be very unfair. At A level back in 1964, there were 7 of us who took exams. They were formative (one exam - that was it. If you felt bad or misread the paper - tough)

My friend had been the star pupil all through the 2 years. If it had been cumulative he would have walked it. In mock exams he was easily top. But he had a panic attack in exam room for almost every exam he took and only passed one A level out of 4 he took.

He did ok in life subsequently, but as far as I know he never got to Uni. And three out of the 7 went to either Uni or teacher training college :-( :-(

11 plus was very unfair too, in my view.

Off to bed.....lots of marking to do, tomorrorw

Night~~~~~

Libby

You are NOT 'rubbish'

People just say that :-| :-| :-| :-|


<3

Libby :-D :-D Parking and reversing round corners are nightmares

There are even restrictions on c/p........which I tried to do

.................hmmmmmmmmmmmmm


Look at how Government are holding back resources for FE/HE

Look at how they are stopping FE/HE from students becoming grads!

You thought the GCSE debacle was worrying :-0....it's happening in FE/HE

I hated all exams and usually finshed way ahead of everyone else. Had to twiddle my thumbs for ages. Usually managed to pass though.

My worst one, like others, was my driving test and I too passed on my third attempt. I am still rubbish at reversing around corners properly and as for parrallel (don't even know if I have spelt that correctly) parking ...... just forget it!!!. Will often park well away from where I need to go or even worse pay to go in a car park and pay If I can't find a space I can drive straight into. :-(

A lot of people are no good at exams, Gins. I have always struggled myself.

But there are always interesting and amusing stories around tests - whether they are one off tests like driving theory. Or over a long and complex period of assessment, like you would have had to have had for University teaching, I presume.:-D

Thanks very much for your thoughts :-D

John

'.....my entry was not, the exam was a nightmare'


I am nooooooooo, good at exams!

Gins Hope you are successful with your PhD :-D Think the ease with which you take exams makes you very fortunate.

I used to be in total admiration of people who could sail through exams. But often they did not become a graduate in the University of Life. And had few motor skills. :-D :-D

Well, my 1st degree was a doddle...my entry was not, the exam was a nightmare

My second degree was, worrying, but knowing the system; you don’t have to be smart to get a degree!

I am, now thinking (Only thinking on a PHD? )


...............anyone can do it


Uni......is a load of pants..........and I teach there :-S

Anything Gins. Feel free. :-D

Depends what you mean John

Cumulative or formative assessment?


Edit: I forgot Summative!

Driving test and like Kay ???? Amateur Radio exam. I could not and can't get my head around morse so ended up a G6 :-S

What an interesting range of memories of test and exams - so varied. Not sure about bomb disposal. Sounds like Russian rouletter. Is ROV Remotely Operated Vehicle?

BrianW - those professional exams really determined whether you were going to have a successful career or not. Vets seem to have the worst of it - is it 7 years?

And the driving test? What a nightmare!!

I have thought of another today - my French oral. This lovely lady asked me questions about my name, where I lived etc. She asked about my father - I knew he was a newsagent in Walsall. So it must only have been sheer panic and not able to remember "newsagent" that he suddenly became a fisherman in Marsellies :-( :-( :-(

It would have to be Physics 'O' level. I agonised with so much revision for it and just scraped through, yet with Biology I just looked at the diagrams and got the top grade.

My dad would have been like yours Scozz. As it was I passed all 9 O levels, but when I told him he just grunted and never looked up from his paper. No chance of doing A levels, he thought it was a waste of money educating girls. :-S

My knees turned to jelly when I saw my driving test examiner!! Typical of those times, he was ex army with Frank Muir moustache and a little cane tucked under his arm and there was me with my long hair and flared, fringed jeans........but he did pass me! :-)

LOL Bob I know the answer to that one. Ask the ROV which one he wants.

Passing Amature Radio exam when maths had to be applied and some aspects of physics, passed but failed on the morse,,,,,,, just no ear for it.

more of test rather than exam. defusing a bomb........do i cut the red wire first? or the blue wire........

Chartered Accountant finals.
Although my third attempt at the Intermediate had me worried having only narrowly missed passing on the previous two attempts and a third fail might have put my training contract in jeopardy.